Lieutenant-Colonel W. F. Butler, C.B., remarks:—

“The Goth might ravage Italy, but the Goth came forth purified from the flames which he himself had kindled. The Saxon swept Britain, but the music of the Celtic heart softened his rough nature, and wooed him into less churlish habits. Visigoth and Frank, Heruli and Vandal, blotted out their voracity in the very light of the civilisation they had striven to extinguish. Even the Hun, wildest Tartar from the Scythian waste, was touched and softened in his wicker encampment amid Pannonian plains; but the Turk—wherever his scymitar reached—degraded, defiled, and defamed; blasting into eternal decay Greek, Roman and Latin civilisation, until, when all had gone, he sat down, satiated with savagery, to doze for two hundred years into hopeless decrepitude.” (Good Words for September 1880.)

Literature on the subject of Muḥammadanism:—

Muhamedis Imposturæ. W. Bedwell. London 1615
A Lytell Treatyse of the Turkes Law called Alcoran. W. De Worde. London. No date.
Mahomet Unmasked. W. Bedwell. London 1642
The Alcoran of Mahomet. Alex. Ross. London 1642
Religion and Manners of Mahometans. Joseph Pitts. Exon 1704
History of the Saracens. S. Ockley. London 1708
Four Treatises by Reland and others. London 1712
The True Nature of the Imposture. Dean Prideaux. London 1718
Abulfeda. Translated into Latin. J. Gagnier. London 1723
Muhammadanism Explained. Joseph Morgan. London 1723
Life of Mahomet. Count Boulainvilliers. Translated. London 1731
Translation of Koran and Preliminary Discourse. G. Sale. London 1734
Reflections on Mohammedism (sic) Anon. London 1735
The Morality of the East, extracted from the Koran. Anon. London 1766
Roman Empire. E. Gibbon. London 1776
The Koran. Translated. Savary 1782
Bampton Lectures. Rev. J. White. Oxford 1784
The Hidayah. Translated by C. Hamilton. London 1791
The Rise of Mahomet accounted for. N. Alcock. London 1796
Life of Mahomet. Anon. London 1799
The Mishkāt. Translated by Matthews. Calcutta 1809
History of Muhammedanism. C. Mills. London 1817
Christianity compared with Hinduism and Muhamadanism. London 1823
The Muhammedan System. Rev. W. H. Mills 1828
Mahometanism Unveiled. Rev. C. Forster. London 1829
An Apology for the Life of Mohammed. G. Higgins. London 1829
A Reply to Higgins. R. M. Beverley. Beverley 1829
Travels in Arabia. J. L. Burckhardt. London 1829
Controversial Tracts. Rev. H. Martyn. Edited by S. Lee. No date or place.
Animadversions on Higgins. Rev. P. Inchbald. Doncaster 1830
Notes on Bedouins and Wahhabis. J. L. Burckhardt. London 1830
Observations on the Musulmans. Mrs. Meer Hasan Ali. London 1832
Qanoon-e-Islam. Dr. Herklots. London 1832
History of Muhammadanism. W. C. Taylor. London 1834
History of the Wahhabies. Sir H. J. Brydges. London 1834
Muhammedan Dynasties in Spain. Al Makkari. Translated. London 1840
The Hero as Prophet. Thomas Carlyle. London 1840
Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. E. W. Lane. London 1842
Ibn Khallikan’s Biographical Dictionary. M. G. De Slane. Translated. London 1843
Selections from the Kur-án. E. W. Lane. London 1843
Life of Mohammed. Rev. George Bush. New York 1844
The Relation of Islam to the Gospel. Dr. J. A. Moehler. Translated by J. P. Menge. Calcutta 1847
Life of Mahomet. Washington Irving. London 1850
Life of Mohammed. By Abulfeda. Translated by Rev. W. Murray. Elgin. No date.
Muhammadan Law of Sale. N. B. E. Baillie. London 1850
Life of Mohammad. A. Sprenger. Calcutta 1851
Islamism, its Rise and Progress. F. A. Neale. London 1854
Pilgrimage to El Medinah and Mecca. R. F. Burton. London 1855
Life of Mahomet. W. Muir. London 1858
Mohammedan Religion Explained. Rev. J. D. Macbride. London 1859
Ishmael. Rev. J. M. Arnold. London 1859
Arabian Nights with Notes. E. W. Lane. London 1859
Imposture instanced in the Life of Mahomet. Rev. G. Akehurst. London 1859
Testimony borne by the Koran. W. Muir. Allahabad 1860
Religions of Syria. Rev. John Wortabet. London 1860
Muhammedan Commentary on the Bible. Syed Ahmad. Ghazeepur 1862
Digest of Muhammadan Law. Hanifi Code. N. B. E. Baillie. London 1865
Food for Reflection. Rev. Dr. Koelle. London 1865
Central and Eastern Arabia. W. G. Palgrave. London 1865
The Mizān ul Haqq. Dr. Pfander. Translated. London 1867
Aīn i Akbari of Abul Fazl. Translated. H. Blochmann. Calcutta 1868
Notes on Islam. Rev. A. Brinckman. London 1868
Digest of Muhammadan Law. Imameea Code. N. B. E. Baillie. London 1869
Law of Inheritance. S. G. Grady. London 1869
Al Sirajiyyah. Translated. A. Rumsey. London 1869
Apology for Muhammad. John Davenport. London 1869
Pilgrimage to Mecca. Begum of Bhopal. London 1870
Our Indian Musulmans. W. W. Hunter. London 1871
On Dr. Hunter’s “Indian Musulmans.” Syed Ahmed Khan 1871
The Koran Translated. Rev. J. M. Rodwell. London 1871
Essays on the Life of Muhammad. Syed Ahmed Khan. London 1871
Essays on Eastern Questions. W. G. Palgrave. London 1872
Manual of Laws. J. B. S. Boyle. Lahore 1873
Life of Muhammad. Syed Ameer Ali. London 1873
Tagore Lectures. Shama Churun Sircar. Calcutta 1873
Tagore Lectures. Shama Churun Sircar. Calcutta 1874
Islām and Christianity. Rev. J. M. Arnold. London 1874
Mohammed and Mohammedanism. R. Bosworth Smith. London 1874
Essay on Islam. Emanuel Deutsch. London 1874
Islam under the Arabs. R. D. Osborn. London 1876
Notes on Muhammadanism. Rev. T. P. Hughes. London. 2nd ed. 1877
Christianity and Islam. Rev. W. R. W. Stephens. London 1877
Islam and its Founder. J. W. H. Stobart. London 1878
Mohammed, Buddha, and Christ. Marcus Dods. London 1878
Islam, its Origin, Genius, and Mission. J. J. Lake. London 1878
Islam under the Khalifs of Baghdad. R. D. Osborn. London 1878
Lane’s Selections from the Kurān. New ed. S. L. Poole. London 1879
The Miracle Play of Hasan and Husain. Sir Lewis Pelly. London 1879
The Personal Law of Muhammedans. Syed Ameer Ali. London 1880
The Faith of Islam. Rev. E. Sell. Madras 1880
The Future of Islam. W. S. Blunt. London 1880
The Quran. Translated. 2 vols. Prof. E. H. Palmer. Oxford 1880
Commentary on the Qurān. Rev. E. M. Wherry. London 1882
Reforms in Mohammadan States. Moulvie Cheragh Ali. Bombay 1883
Annals of the Early Caliphate. Sir W. Muir. London 1883

Religio Turcia Mahometis vita. J. Wallich. Stadae Suecorum 1659
Refutatio Al Corani. L. Marracio. Patavii 1698
Specimen Historiæ Arabum. E. Pocock. Oxon 1750
Recueil des Rites et Cérémonies du Pélerinage de la Mecque. Galland. Amsterdam 1754
Bibliothèque Orientale. D’Herbelot. Maestricht 1776
Lettres sur l’Histoire des Arabes avant l’Islamisme. 1836
Essai sur l’Histoire des Arabes avant l’Islamisme. A. P. Caussin de Perceval 1848
Die Geisterlehre der Moslimen. Von Hammer Purgstall. Wien 1852
Geschichte des Qorâns. T. Nöldeke 1860
Das Leben Mohammeds nach Ibn Ishak. Bearbeitet von Ibn Hischam, by Weil 1864
Mahomet et le Coran. T. B. de St. Hilaire. Paris 1865
Geschichte der herrschenden Ideen des Islams. A. von Kremer 1868
Das Leben und die Lehre des Mohammad. A. Sprenger. Berlin 1869
L’Islamisme d’après le Coran. Garcin de Tassy. Paris 1874
Essai sur l’Histoire de l’Islamisme. R. Dozy 1879

MUḤARRAM (محرم‎). Lit. “That which is forbidden.” Anything sacred. (1) The first month of the Muḥammadan year [[MONTHS].] (2) The first ten days of the month, observed in commemoration of the martyrdom of al-Ḥusain, the second son of Fāt̤imah, the Prophet’s daughter, by ʿAlī. [[AL-HUSAIN].] These days of lamentation are only observed by the Shīʿah Muslims, but the tenth day of Muḥarram is observed by the Sunnīs in commemoration of its having been the day on which Adam and Eve, heaven and hell, the pen, fate, life and death, were created. [[ʿASHURAʾ].]

The ceremonies of the Muḥarram differ much in different places and countries. The following is a graphic description of the observance of the Muḥarram at Ispahan in the year 1811, which has been taken, with some slight alterations from Morier’s Second Journey through Persia:—

The tragical termination of al-Ḥusain’s life, commencing with his flight from al-Madīnah and terminating with his death on the plain of Karbalāʾ, has been drawn up in the form of a drama, consisting of several parts, of which one is performed by actors on each successive day of the mourning. The last part, which is appointed for the Roz-i-Qatl, comprises the events of the day on which he met his death, and is acted with great pomp before the King, in the largest square of the city. The subject, which is full of affecting incidents, would of itself excite great interest in the breasts of a Christian audience; but allied as it is with all the religious and national feelings of the Persians, it awakens their strongest passions. Al-Ḥusain would be a hero in our eyes; in theirs he is a martyr. The vicissitudes of his life, his dangers in the desert, his fortitude, his invincible courage, and his devotedness at the hour of his death, are all circumstances upon which the Persians dwell with rapture, and which excite in them an enthusiasm not to be diminished by lapse of time. The celebration of this mourning keeps up in their minds the remembrance of those who destroyed him, and consequently their hatred for all Musalmāns who do not partake of their feelings. They execrate Yazīd and curse ʿUmar with such rancour, that it is necessary to have witnessed the scenes that are exhibited in their cities to judge of the degree of fanaticism which possesses them at this time. I have seen some of the most violent of them, as they vociferated, “O Ḥusain!” walk about the streets almost naked, with only their loins covered, and their bodies streaming with blood, by the voluntary cuts which they have given to themselves, either as acts of love, anguish, or mortification. Such must have been the cuttings of which we read in Holy Writ, which were forbidden to the Israelites by Moses ([Lev. xix. 28], [Deut. xiv. 1]), and these extravagances, I conjecture, must resemble the practices of the priests of Baal, who cried aloud and cut themselves after this manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. [1 Kings xviii. 28]; see also [Jeremiah xvi. 5, 6, and 7].

The preparations which were made throughout the city consisted in erecting large tents, that are there called takiyah, in the streets and open places, in fitting them up with black linen, and furnishing them with objects emblematical of the mourning. These tents are erected either at the joint expense of the district, or by men of consequence, as an act of devotion; and all ranks of people have a free access to them. The expense of a takiyah consists in the hire of a mulla, or priest, of actors and their clothes, and in the purchase of lights. Many there are who seize this opportunity of atoning for past sins, or of rendering thanks to heaven for some blessing, by adding charity to the good act of erecting a takiyah, and distribute gratuitous food to those who attend it.